OXYGEN SUPPLY DEVICE, OXYGEN SUPPLY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OXYGEN SUPPLY

Abstract

A clinical oxygen supply device (100) adapted to supply supplemental oxygen to a patient, comprising an oxygen inlet section (110) with a first coupling unit (111) adapted to be releasably coupled to a standardized oxygen wall outlet (1), an oxygen outlet section (120) with a second coupling unit (121) adapted to be releasably coupled to an oxygen dispensing device (2) attached to a patient (3), and an oxygen flow control section (130) with a regulation unit (132) adapted to regulate an oxygen flow between the oxygen inlet section (110) and the oxygen outlet section (120) on the basis of a control signal is provided. Display means adapted to indicate at least one operating parameter of the clinical oxygen supply device, an energy conversion section (140) adapted to generate electrical energy from pressure energy of oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section (110), and an energy supply section (150) adapted to provide the electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section (140) to the oxygen flow control section (130) and the display means are provided. The clinical oxygen supply device (100) is configured as a battery-less device. A clinical oxygen supply system (1) and a method of clinical oxygen supply are also part of the present invention.

Claims

1. A clinical oxygen supply device adapted to supply supplemental oxygen to a patient, comprising an oxygen inlet section with a first coupling unit adapted to be releasably coupled to a standardized oxygen wall outlet, an oxygen outlet section with a second coupling unit adapted to be releasably coupled to an oxygen dispensing device attached to a patient, and an oxygen flow control section with a regulation unit adapted to regulate an oxygen flow between the oxygen inlet section and the oxygen outlet section on the basis of a control signal, characterized by display means adapted to indicate at least one operating parameter of the clinical oxygen supply device, an energy conversion section adapted to generate electrical energy from pressure energy of oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section, and an energy supply section adapted to provide the electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section to the oxygen flow control section and the display means, and further characterized in that the clinical oxygen supply device configured as a battery-less device.

2. A device according to claim 1, configured in a way that an amount of electrical energy provided by the energy conversion section corresponds, in all operation modes of the device, to an amount of electrical energy supplied by the energy supply section.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen flow control section comprises a user interface unit adapted to receive data from a user input and to provide the control signal to the regulation unit on the basis of the user input received by the user interface unit.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the energy conversion section comprises a first energy conversion unit adapted to convert the pressure energy of the oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section to mechanical energy and a second energy conversion unit adapted to convert the mechanical energy into the electrical energy.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the first energy conversion unit is provided as a pneumatic motor and an expansion turbine adapted to be operated by expansion of the oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein the second energy conversion unit is provided as an electric generator adapted to be operated by the mechanical energy provided by the first energy conversion unit.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply section comprises energy status information means adapted to inform a user regarding an amount of electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section and available to the energy supply section.

8. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a manual 15 operation section adapted to manually operate the oxygen flow control section at least in case of a malfunction of and a lack of electrical energy available to, the energy supply section.

9. A clinical oxygen supply system, comprising a clinical oxygen supply device adapted to supply supplemental oxygen to a patient, an oxygen inlet section with a first coupling unit adapted to be releasably coupled to a standardized oxygen wall outlet, an oxygen outlet section with a second coupling unit adapted to be releasably coupled to an oxygen dispensing device attached to a patient, an oxygen flow control section with a regulation unit adapted to regulate an oxygen flow between the oxygen inlet section and the oxygen outlet section on the basis of a control signal, a display adapted to indicate at least one operating parameter of the clinical oxygen supply device, an energy conversion section adapted to generate electrical energy from pressure energy of oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section, an energy supply section adapted to provide the electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section to the oxygen flow control and the display, a standardized oxygen wall outlet adapted to be supplied with pressurized oxygen and an oxygen dispensing device, and wherein the clinical oxygen supply device is configured as a battery-less device.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an oxygen saturation sensing device attachable to a patient.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the oxygen flow control section further comprises a communication unit adapted to receive data from the oxygen saturation sensing device attached to the patient and to provide the control signal to the regulation unit on the basis of the data received from the oxygen saturation sensing device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the energy supply section further comprises an energy supply port adapted to supply the electric energy generated by the energy conversion section also to the oxygen saturation sensing device.

13. A method of supplying clinical oxygen, comprising the steps of: adapting a clinical oxygen supply device to supply supplemental oxygen to a patient, adapting an oxygen inlet section with a first coupling to be releasably coupled to a standardized oxygen wall outlet, adapting oxygen outlet section with a second coupling unit to be releasably coupled to an oxygen dispensing device attached to a patient, adapting an oxygen flow control section with a regulation unit to regulate an oxygen flow between the oxygen inlet section and the oxygen outlet section on the basis of a control signal, adapting a display to indicate at least one operating parameter of the clinical oxygen supply device, an energy conversion section adapted to generate electrical energy from pressure energy of oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section, adapting an energy supply section adapted to provide the electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section to the oxygen flow control and the display, adapting a standardized oxygen wall outlet adapted to be supplied with pressurized oxygen and an oxygen dispensing device, and configuring the clinical oxygen supply device as a battery-less device.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of configuring the clinical oxygen supply device such that an amount of electrical energy provided by the energy conversion section corresponds, in all operation modes of the clinical oxygen supply device to an amount of electrical energy supplied by the energy supply section.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of adapting a user interface unit of the oxygen flow control section to receive data from a user input and to provide the control signal to the regulation unit on the basis of the user input received by the user interface unit.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of adapting a first energy conversion unit of the energy conversion section to convert the pressure energy of the oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section to mechanical energy and adapting a second energy conversion unit to convert the mechanical energy into the electrical energy.

17. A device according to claim 4, wherein the first energy conversion unit is provided as a pneumatic motor or an expansion turbine adapted to be operated by expansion of the oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section.

18. A device according to claim 5, wherein the second energy conversion unit is provided as an electric generator adapted to be operated by the mechanical energy provided by the first energy conversion unit.

19. A system according to claim 12, wherein the energy supply section comprises energy status information means adapted to inform a user regarding an amount of electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section or available to the energy supply section.

20. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a manual operation section adapted to manually operate the oxygen flow control section at least in case of a malfunction of or a lack of electrical energy available to the energy supply section.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an clinical oxygen supply device in a clinical oxygen supply system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0058] In FIG. 1, a clinical oxygen supply device according to an embodiment of the invention is indicated with 100. The clinical oxygen supply device 100 may form part of a clinical oxygen supply system 1, as explained above.

[0059] The clinical oxygen supply device 100 comprises an oxygen inlet section 110 adapted to receive oxygen and an oxygen outlet section 120 adapted to supply oxygen. The oxygen inlet section 110 comprises a first coupling unit 111 which is adapted to be releasably coupled to a standardized oxygen wall outlet 1, e.g. with suitable screw, push-fit, press-fit and/or bayonet coupling means. The oxygen wall outlet 1 is provided in a wall 5, e.g. of clinical ward.

[0060] The oxygen outlet section 120, on the other hand, comprises a second coupling unit 121 which is adapted to be releasably coupled to an oxygen dispensing device 2 which can, as shown in FIG. 1, be coupled to a patient 3. In the example shown, the oxygen dispensing device 2 comprises a facial mask 21 but other suitable means of oxygen supply to a patient 3 may be provided, e.g. a nasal cannula.

[0061] The patient 3 is further equipped with an oxygen saturation sensing device 4 which may operate according to the principles as explained above. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the oxygen saturation sensing device is wirelessly coupled to a communication unit 131 of an oxygen flow control section 130 of the oxygen supply device 100 of the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1. However, also a wired connection is possible, such a wired connection also allowing an oxygen saturation sensing device to be supplied with electric energy from the clinical oxygen supply device 100.

[0062] As mentioned, the present invention is equally useful in clinical oxygen supply devices which do not operate on the basis of sensor feedback, in which case the oxygen saturation sensing device 4 is either not present or does not communicate with the clinical oxygen supply device. In such a case, the clinical oxygen supply device does either not comprise a communication unit 131 or the communication unit 131 is present but not adapted to communicate with an oxygen saturation sensing device 4, if present. The oxygen flow control section, of which the communication unit 131 is part of, is adapted to regulate an oxygen flow between the oxygen inlet section 110 and the oxygen outlet section 120 via suitable means not shown in detail. The oxygen flow is regulated by the regulation unit 132 on the basis of a control signal. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the control signal to the regulating unit 132 is provided on the basis of the data from the oxygen saturation sensing device 4 received by the communication unit 131, i.e. on the basis of an oxygen saturation of the blood of the patient 3 as measured by the oxygen saturation sensing device 4. However, as repeatedly mentioned, the control signal to the regulating unit 132 may be also based on a flow setting by a user.

[0063] The present invention, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, includes providing an energy conversion section 140 which is adapted to generate electric energy from pressure energy of oxygen supplied to the oxygen inlet section 110. For this purpose, the energy conversion section in the example shown comprises a first energy conversion unit 141 which may be, as mentioned, be embodied as a pneumatic motor. The first energy conversion unit 141 may be coupled, via a shaft 143, to a second energy conversion unit 142, e.g. an electrical generator. The clinical oxygen supply device 100 further includes an energy supply section 150 which is, e.g. via a energy supply line 152, adapted to provide electrical energy generated by the energy conversion section 140 to the oxygen flow control section 130. The energy supply section 150 may, via a further line 153, be connected to the energy conversion section 140. The energy supply section 150 would have to include an energy buffering unit 151 which would have to be adapted to buffer the electric energy generated by the energy conversion section 140 if the clinical oxygen supply device 100 were not adapted to be coupled to the oxygen wall outlet or coupled thereto. As the clinical oxygen supply device 100 is, however, in the context of the present invention, connected or connectable to such a reliable source of oxygen, the energy buffering unit 151, especially a battery, can be dispensed with. The energy buffering unit 151 is therefore only shown for reference purposes and does not form part of the embodiment of the invention. The energy supply section 150 may also comprise energy status information means 154, the function of which was already explained in detail above. An energy supply port may also form part of the energy supply section, the energy supply port being adapted to supply the electric energy generated by the energy conversion section 140 also to the oxygen saturation sensing device 5, if the latter is wiredly connected to the clinical oxygen supply device according to the present invention.

[0064] Furthermore, the clinical oxygen supply device may also include a manual operation section 160 which may be adapted to manually operate the oxygen flow control section 130 at least in case of a malfunction of, and/or a lack of oxygen and therefore electrical energy available to, the energy supply section 150, e.g. in case a patient is relocated. The manual operation section 160 may also be adapted to be supplied with clinical data, e.g. patient data regarding the status of the patient 3 and/or a treatment protocol. The manual operation section 160 may also be connected to further devices, e.g. via a wired connection or wirelessly. The clinical oxygen supply device 100 according to the embodiment shown may therefore also be remotely operable, e.g. from a central terminal and/or a corresponding unit which is indicated with 20. As mentioned, display means are provided according to the present invention. They can e.g. be part of the manual operation section 160 and may be powered from electrical energy from the energy supply section 150.